Payment of bespoke trip to Spain | 14th – 24th of April 2022 | 2 pax
–
Description and schedule of services
–
14th of April: arrival to Barcelona and day at leisure to recover from your trip
–
9:05am: upon arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport (SQ308), collect your luggage and head to the arrivals hall. Your private driver will be waiting for you there. He will be holding a sign saying “Joel and Sharon – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to your hotel in Barcelona.
10:30am: arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and rest of the day at leisure to recover from your journey.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Monument (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
15th of April: introductory tour of Barcelona including the Church of la Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell: the masterpieces of genius local architect Antoni Gaudí. Evening at leisure to attend Easter mass
–
Your tour today will have a special focus on the masterpieces of local architect Antoni Gaudí: the Church of la Sagrada familia and Parc Güell. Two great examples (one religious and one park) representative of the talent of this genius architect.
9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred by taxi Parc Güell
9:25am: upon arrival, you will be taken on a private walking tour of the park aimed at understanding the extent to which Gaudi was able to expand his creativity and versatility. Promoted by the local businessman Eusebi Güell, the park was originally devised as an exclusive garden for the well-to-do local families who wanted to get away from the busy city life and be closer to nature. Güell gave Gaudí free rein to design the site, in such a way that the architect was able to experiment with new construction techniques and incorporate references to Classical mythology, the history of Catalonia and the Christian religion and this is what your tour will uncover for you.
11:15am: after your tour of Parc Güell, be transferred by taxi to the church of La Sagrada Familia.
11:30am: arrival to la Sagrada Familia and private tour of the site. After your initial discovery of Catalan Modernist architecture and the work of Gaudí, you will have the right context to enjoy the magnificence of this temple and to understand the visionary that Gaudí was, by taking a private tour of both the inside and the outside of the building with your personal local host. The church of la Sagrada familia is the most ambitious and complex project of Gaudí as it incorporates all the structural innovations he had developed during his career. Also, the temple contains a fascinating symbolism revealing the in-depth knowledge of Christian liturgy that Gaudí acquired after several decades of intense study.
1pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, your personal local host will give you the right information to come back to your hotel or to spend the rest of your afternoon at leisure in Barcelona.
Evening: today enjoy your evening at leisure to go to Easter mass in Barcelona.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Monument (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
16th of April: day trip from Barcelona to the medieval city of Girona and town of Besalú
–
9:30am: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the medieval town of Girona.
11am: upon arrival to Girona, you will enjoy a private walking tour of the old town along which you will learn about its Roman origins and about the important settlement the town also became in the middle ages. The old city ramparts date from the 9th century and feature a charming labyrinth of winding streets once inhabited by Christians, Jews and Muslims. Along your tour you will visit the 12th century Moorish baths, which are a beautiful evidence of what life in the town was like in those times.
From there you’ll continue your tour, visiting the Basilica of Sant Feliu, a prominent catholic temple nestled into Girona’s old city. Upon arrival, you may want to venture into the interior of the basilica to see an important sculpture of Jesus Christ for the local community.
The highlight of your Girona tour will be its catholic Cathedral. An impressive temple featuring the hallmarks of varying architectural styles of different periods, this cathedral is home to the sacred chapel of the patron saint of Girona, and to the magnificent 11th century Tapestry of the Creation, considered to be a true masterpiece of medieval artwork.
Then, you will walk down toward the Onyar river, which features many picturesque bridges, which separate the old sections of the city from the new ones.
1:30pm: surely hungry, after your discovery of Girona your local host will take you for a nice local lunch to recover some energy and to taste the gastronomy of the region.
2:45pm: after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the nearby medieval village of Besalú.
3:30pm: upon arrival to Besalú, take a private walking tour of its picturesque medieval quarters, while you learn about the history of its former Hispanic-Jewish community and about how it coexisted with the Christian majority. Besalu also features a very well preserved Hispanich-Jewish bath house and an impressive bridge from the 11th century that you may want to cross to capture the lovely views of the town from across the river.
4:45pm: after your tour of Besalú, be transferred back to Barcelona.
6:30pm: arrival to Barcelona and services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Monument (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
17th of April: morning at leisure to go to mass and afternoon trip to the natural park and sanctuary of Montserrat
–
Morning: today enjoy your morning at leisure to go to mass in Barcelona.
2:15pm: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the natural park of Montserrat.
3pm: upon arrival to the Montserrat area, you will take a cable car to go up to the monastery area. Along the way, you will enjoy stunning views of the dramatic nature that surrounds Montserrat.
3:30pm: upon arrival to the Monastery area, take a tour of the basilica and of the different monastery sections including a visit to the room where the famous black Madonna is kept. This is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary that the catholic population of Barcelona have a great devotion for. This visit to the monastery area will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the site and also to learn about its historical and architectural significance.
After your tour of the monastery, you may want to enjoy the exquisite religious art collection that the monks of Montserrat have gathered throughout the centuries and that includes paintings by very renown Spanish painters.
5:15pm: after your visit to the monastery, enjoy the beautiful nature of the area by taking a short guided walk in the natural park to the cross of Saint Michael for beautiful panoramic views of the mountains and of the Monastery. After enjoying the natural beauty of the area, take a short walk back to the monastery area.
6:15pm: back at the monastery area, after your tour of the nature reserve and sanctuary or Montserrat, reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your hotel in Barcelona.
7:15pm: arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: Hotel Monument (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
18th of April: high-speed train from Barcelona to Seville and introductory evening flamenco and tapas tour of Seville old town
–
7:35am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle from your hotel in Barcelona to Barcelona train station.
8am: upon arrival to Barcelona train station, locate your platform to later board your high-speed train to Seville.
8:30am: departure of your high-speed train from Barcelona train station to Seville train station (direct. 1st class seats).
2:04pm: upon arrival of your train to Seville train station, meet your personal driver there and be transferred in a modern and comfortable minibus to your hotel in Seville. Your driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals hall of Seville train station holding a sign saying “Sharon and Joel – Genuine Andalusia”.
2:30pm: arrival to your hotel in Seville and free time to check-in and freshen up before your introductory flamenco and tapas tour of the city.
6:30pm: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel to start a guided walk towards a selected flamenco venue in Seville old town. This introductory walk is aimed at learning how flamenco emerged from South West Spain as a result of a slow fusion of the ancient multicultural musical heritage of Southern Spain with the original gypsy rhythms and musical roots. This will set the context for (and enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of) the flamenco performance in a small and intimate venue that will follow, with 4 people on stage (one singer, one guitarist and two dancers).
7:30pm: start of the flamenco performance.
8:30pm: after your flamenco performance, enjoy a tapas tasting tour through Seville old town. Along the journey, you will learn about and enjoy this genuinely Spanish approach to enjoying a meal. Your tour will take you to 2 – 3 selected tapas bars where locals like to gather with family and friends and where you will taste a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water). This will make an excellent opportunity to learn about Southern Spanish gastronomy and also about the dynamics of tapas bars in Southern Spain.
10:30pm: after your tapas and wines adventure, be escorted back to your hotel stopping along the way for a sweet local treat.
11pm: arrival to your hotel and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: Aguilas Suites (not booked through Genuine Andalusia
–
–
19th of April: Seville World Heritage Sites walking tour including a private visit to a closed convent to meet the nuns who live there
–
9:30am: be met by your personal local host by the reception desk of your hotel in Seville and start your discovery journey of the city with a private tour of its most exotic UNESCO site: the Alcazar or Moorish palace, which is a massive complex of palaces erected in different periods and of breath-taking gardens of different styles.
The Alcazar has stunning historical constructions featuring a very particular crossover between Hispanic-Muslim and Christian architecture styles, called Mudejar. This style became very fashionable in Spain in the 14th and 15th centuries amongst the Christian nobility and it reached its maximum splendour in Seville. Another essential part of the Alcazar is the famous house of Trade, which once hosted the offices from where all the commerce with the new world was managed. After enjoying these inner areas, you will be taken to the gardens, which are an exquisite sample of European gardening dating from the 17th until the 20th centuries.
Later, walk through the Jewish quarter (Santa Cruz) and enjoy its narrow streets, houses of traditional architecture, countless quaint corners and cozy squares to later get to a closed convent where the nuns live in total isolation.
There you will be able to enter the convent with your personal local host who is a close friend of the nuns and see the place where they live and the art collection they have. Besides, you will be able to interact with the nuns to learn about their life and their routines in the convent.
1:15pm: then you will be taken for a light lunch in the section of the city where the convent is and which is famous for concentrating some of the most interesting mudéjar churches in Seville.
2:30pm: after lunch, you will be taken to visit the Cathedral of Seville, which is the largest gothic temple in the World and where Christopher Columbus is buried. The Cathedral of Seville was built on a vast extension of land where previously a Mosque had been erected. A significant element of the Mosque was preserved and it is now a part of the Cathedral. This makes it a unique construction featuring styles as diverse as Hispanic-Muslim, Gothic, Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque. A most important part of the Cathedral is its bell tower known as la Giralda. During your tour you will be taken to the top in order to enjoy the wonderful views of Seville that one can admire from there.
4pm: end of the tour back at your hotel or in Seville old town so you can enjoy your afternoon at leisure there.
Overnight in Seville: Aguilas Suites (not booked through Genuine Andalusia
–
–
20th of April: day trip to the hilltop whitewashed villages of Cádiz
–
9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera. Explanations along the way about the agriculture, farming, rural landscape and geography of South West Spain.
10:20am: arrival to the village of Arcos de la Frontera and private walking tour of the old town with a special focus on its Hispanic – Muslim urban planning and traditional constructions, on its Christian monumental buildings, on its traditions and on its breath-taking viewpoints. Understanding of what life on the frontier between the Christian Kingdom of Castilla and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada was like in the 14th and 15th centuries. Tasting of some local delicacies along the tour.
12pm: private transfer from Arcos de la Frontera to Grazalema.
1pm: arrival to Grazalema and small private walking tour of the old town aimed at enjoying the beauty of its charming location in the middle of a natural park and its picturesque architecture and urban planning. Lunch in a selected local restaurant after the introductory walking tour.
3pm: private transfer from Grazalema to Zahara de la Sierra, stopping along the way in the summit of las Palomas to enjoy breath-taking views of the natural park of Grazalema and of the iconic forests of Spanish firs.
3:45pm: arrival to Zahara de la Sierra and private walking tour of the old town aimed at enjoying its traditional Southern Spanish charm and to learn about its history and evolution from a fortified settlement on top of a rock to a more spread-out rural settlement.
5pm: private transfer from Zahara de la Sierra back to Seville.
6:30pm:arrival to Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: Aguilas Suites (not booked through Genuine Andalusia
–
–
21st of April: day trip to the national park of Doñana and to the catholic pilgrimage hamlet of El Rocío
–
8am: meet your personal driver at the reception desk of your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable vehicle to the hamlet of El Rocío in the heart of the national park of Doñana.
9:15am: upon arrival to El Rocío, be met by your personal local host and go on a 4 hour tour through the national park in his 4×4 vehicle. This tour will have a special focus on the beautiful landscapes of the national park and on the catholic pilgrimage that takes dozens of thousands of people every Pentecost through them to the hermitage of El Rocío.
You will start your tour exploring 4 different ecosystems in the national park: pine forests, cork – oak forests, transition areas and the wetlands with their lagoons and marshlands. April is a great month to visit Doñana. Forests and marshes look great. Thistles, thrifts in blossom and many different rock roses also proliferate decorating large areas in the scrublands and forests with their pink, white and yellow flowers.
After enjoying the natural beauty of the area, you will be taken on a tour of the hamlet of el Rocío. This tour will allow you to learn why the area where the hamlet is has been considered a sacred spot by many civilizations throughout history and how and why today it is one of the most important places of catholic pilgrimage in Southern Europe.
El Rocío has an impressive whitewashed hermitage treasuring the famous Virgin of El Rocío, a sculpture that thousands of people worship in Southern Spain and that you will get to see during your tour. El Rocío is also a very particular hamlet because of its architecture and unpaved sandy roads where usually horses are much more numerous than cars.
It will be in these picturesque streets where your tour will finish with a nice local lunch before reconnecting with your driver to come back to Seville.
3:15pm: private transfer back to Seville with your personal driver.
4:15pm:: arrival to Seville and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Seville: Aguilas Suites (not booked through Genuine Andalusia
–
–
22nd of April: day at leisure in Seville
–
All day: day at leisure in Seville.
Overnight in Seville: Aguilas Suites (not booked through Genuine Andalusia
–
–
23rd of April: day trip from Seville to Córdoba to see the great Mosque -Cathedral, finishing at Seville airport and evening flight to Barcelona
–
9am: private transfer in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with your own personal driver from your hotel in Seville to Córdoba old town.
10:30am: upon arrival to Córdoba old town, be met by your personal local host to go on a 3h discovery journey of the historical centre of the city. A UNESCO site since 1994, Córdoba is an inspirational city, which during the Middle Ages, saw a peaceful interaction between the three great Mediterranean cultures. Jews, Muslims and Christians coexisted then in the city turning it into a unique intellectual hub that gave birth to very renowned philosophers, poets, scientists and doctors. This also resulted in the construction of unique religious buildings of remarkable historical significance.
During your private walking tour, you’ll learn about the period of maximum intellectual splendour of the city and you will see beautiful examples of architecture and urban planning that will allow you to recreate all the grandeur of this era, which has the Great Mosque – Cathedral and the synagogue and the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs as its most representative constructions.
The Great Mosque-Cathedral is probably the most though-provoking building in Spain and your personal local host will uncover all its beauty and complexity for you. You will understand its origins, its different enlargements and the role that the building has played in the culture and social fabric of the city throughout the centuries.
The synagogue will allow you to understand the very important Jewish – Sephardic community that Córdoba once had and how much it embraced Hispanic-Muslim decorative arts in its places of devotion.
The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs is a fortification treasuring Roman and Visigothic remains that became an important royal residence in the Hispanic-Muslim and Christian times. Your tour of this landmark will be a journey through the history of the city and also through probably the most beautiful gardens that one can find in Córdoba.
1:30pm: end of your tour and free time for lunch at leisure.
3pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred from Córdoba old town to Seville airport.
4:25pm: arrival to Seville airport on time to take your flight to Barcelona at 6:25pm.
6:25pm: departure of your domestic flight to Barcelona. Vueling airlines VY2217.
8:05pm: upon arrival of your domestic flight to Barcelona, collect your luggage, head to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Sharon and Joel – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel near Barcelona airport.
8:30pm: upon arrival to your hotel near Barcelona airport, check-in and drop off your luggage. Afterwards you may want to go for a stroll in the town where it is centrally located.
Overnight near Barcelona airport: hotel Sallés Ciutat del Prat (not booked through Genuine Andalusia)
–
–
24th of April: departure from Barcelona airport
–
7:50am: private transfer in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with your own personal driver from your hotel near Barcelona airport to Barcelona airport.
8:10am: arrival to Barcelona airport on time to take your covid tests and to catch your flight at 10:10am.
–
–
Pricing
–
The price of this bespoke trip for a private group of 2 people is 7750 Euros. This quote is valid until the 12th of March 2020 at 3pm (Madrid time).
–
This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a personal local host from Genuine Andalusia (a fully licensed, knowledgeable, personable, flexible and interactive local guide).
– All entrance tickets and admissions for each of the sites included in your private tours.
– A traditional lunch in a selected local restaurant in the city of Girona after your exploration of the city with your guide and before your transfer to the medieval village of Besalú.
– Cable car tickets to get to the top of the monastery area in the natural park of Montserrat.
– High-speed train tickets (1st class seats) to travel from Barcelona to Seville on the 18th of April.
– Entrance tickets to a selected flamenco performance in Seville with 4 people on stage (2 dancers, 1 singer and 1 guitarist).
– A tapas dinner in Seville through 2 – 3 selected bars including a selection of 6- 9 dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– A traditional lunch in a selected local restaurant in the village of Grazalema after your exploration of the village with your guide and before your transfer to the village of Zahara de la Sierra.
– 4×4 tour of the national park of Doñana and of the catholic pilgrimage site of el Rocío with your own personal driver – guide.
– Domestic flight from Seville to Barcelona in the evening of April the 23rd (Vueling airlines VY 2217) including 1 checked-in piece of luggage (up to 25kg), one small cabin suitcase (up to 10kg) and 1 small cabin bag.
– A list of recommended places to do and see and of places to eat during your free time in Barcelona and Seville.
– A list of recommended churches offering mass services in English in Barcelona on Friday the 15th and on Sunday the 17th.
– 24h assistance during your trip.
– Support to manage your Covid tests at Barcelona airport either upon arrival from Seville on April the 23rd or before departing to Singapore on April the 24th.
– All taxes.
– All expenses of your drivers and of your guides.
–
This price excludes
– Accommodation.
– Flights from Singapore to Barcelona and from Barcelona to Singapore.
– Any meals not mentioned right above.
– The cost of you covid tests.
– Anything else not mentioned right above.
–
Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this trip, we require 30% deposit of the grand total paid via credit/debit card no later than the 12th of March 2020 at 3pm (Madrid time). The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 20 days prior to the start of the trip.
–
Grand total of this bespoke trip: 7750 Euros.
–
30% deposit needed to confirm the trip no later than the 12th of March at 3pm (Madrid time): 2325 Euros
–
Final 70% needed no later than 20 days prior to the start of the trip: 5425 Euros
–
Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your trip more than 20 days prior to its scheduled start, we’ll charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your trip between 20 and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we’ll charge 50% of the full cost of the trip.
– If you cancel your trip between 7 and 4 days prior to its scheduled start, we’ll charge 70% of the full cost of the trip.
– If you cancel your trip 3 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the trip.
(*) If the travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t allow for this trip to happen, we will give you a full refund. Please note that the travel restrictions we will take as official will be the ones imposed by the corresponding government/s on the general vaccinated traveler coming to Spain from Singapore and not your specific personal circumstances.
